Red Rocks Hiking Trails Guide

Red Rocks Park doesn’t need a marketing budget – the rocks do the advertising, and the sound system’s just a bonus. Part of the Denver Mountain Parks system near Morrison, CO, it holds a genuinely solid set of Red Rocks hiking trails – free to walk, free to park at, no permit required. This guide covers hiking at Red Rocks Park trail by trail, one advanced loop nearby for extra mileage, and the logistics that actually matter – parking, shuttle timing, and what a concert night does to your plans.

Trails Inside Red Rocks Park – Quick Comparison

Here’s the whole Red Rocks Park trails map condensed into one table, so nobody has to squint at a trailhead sign.

Sources – park data and AllTrails, noted where they diverge.

Trading Post Trail

Trading Post Trail Red Rocks is the search everyone means – busiest trailhead in the park, 15,600-plus AllTrails reviews. Park dat1.4 miles; AllTrails – 1.6, with 360 feet of elevation gain. A loop trail from the Trading Post building, 40 minutes to 90 with stops.

Officially easy; AllTrails calls it moderate for a few steep steps – wear real shoes. Restrooms sit at the trailhead, fine for kids old enough for narrow sections. Also a top pick for best hikes near Red Rocks Amphitheatre – the loop faces the stage bowl.

• Rock formations and meadow
• Amphitheater and skyline views
• Restrooms at the trailhead
• A few steep, uneven steps

Geologic Overlook Trail

Geologic Overlook Trail runs 0.8 miles out-and-back per AllTrails, 236 feet of elevation gain, about 29 minutes; older park data puts it near a mile one-way, 6,248 to 6,648 feet. The trailhead sits at the Lower North Lot, northeast corner of the parking area.

Rated moderate – the climb runs almost the whole distance over exposed sandstone. At the top – a geologic marker, a small picnic spot, tilted sandstone cliffs. Loop back through the tunnel or down the Funicular Trail instead of retracing your steps. Spring brings green meadows and wildflowers.

Funicular and Mt. Vernon Creek Trails

Funicular Trail is short, steep, and functional – connects the Upper North Lot to a pull-off on Trading Post Road. The name’s not decorative – it follows the old route of a funicular that once hauled tourists to Mt. Morrison’s summit. Mostly used to close the loop from Geologic Overlook.

Mt. Vernon Creek Trail runs about a mile along the creek, then toward the Lower South Lot, tying into Trading Post Trail. Least crowded short trail here, with solid amphitheater views from the meadows above.

Red Rocks Trail and the Dakota Ridge Loop

Red Rocks Trail runs the park’s east side, the only multi-use trail here – hiking, horses, biking, Class 1 E-Bikes. It splits north toward Matthews/Winters Park in Jefferson County, east toward Dakota Ridge – a ~6-mile loop if you push through.

For more mileage, the Dakota Ridge Red Rocks loop is the next step, just outside park boundaries – 6.8–8.4 miles, 1,234–1,300 feet of elevation gain, 3.5–4 hours from the Matthews/Winters Trailhead. The payoff – a dramatic knife-edge ridge, plus Jurassic-era fossils and dinosaur tracks right in the rock, with views to Green Mountain, the shark fins, and Dinosaur Ridge.

• Knife-edge ridge, big views
• Dinosaur tracks in stone
• Almost no shade anywhere
• Rattlesnakes on north slope
• Icy rock in winter
• No dogs on Morrison

Two things to know – bentonite clay turns messy after rain or snow, sometimes forcing a seasonal closure, and shade is nearly nonexistent, so hydration and sun exposure protection matter. Per Matthews/Winters Park rules and alerts, dogs are banned on Mt. Morrison Trail, and Dakota Ridge’s south 0.8 miles is bike-only.

Park Rules Every Hiker Should Know

Obvious to some, skipped by plenty of guides – the short version, straight from the source.

• Rock climbing banned park-wide
• Geologic Overlook, Trading Post, Funicular – pedestrian only
• Mt. Vernon Creek Trail – pedestrian only
• Bikes allowed only on Red Rocks Trail
• Kids need supervision near cliffs
• Doctor check-in recommended before hiking
• No shortcut via elementary school

Per the official Red Rocks trail information, some sections have real drop-offs and road crossings, so kids need active supervision. Altitude at 6,280 feet hits harder than the map suggests. Leashed dogs are fine here; the one exception is Mt. Morrison Trail near Matthews/Winters, under Jefferson County rules.

Parking, Shuttles and Getting There

Red Rocks hiking parking is free park-wide – good lots fill early weekends, and Matthews/Winters empties fastest. Backup – Stegosaurus Lot, off the I-70 exit. From Denver – about 15 miles, 30–40 minutes.

New for 2026 – a free Westracks shuttle runs Memorial Day through Labor Day, weekends and holidays, ~9–5, every 15 minutes. Check the Westracks shuttle schedule – it links RTD Golden Station, Matthews/Winters Park, Dinosaur Ridge, Trading Post, and downtown Morrison.

Plainly – the shuttle only answers how to get to Red Rocks trails without a car on summer weekends. Off-season and weekdays, public transit is close to nonexistent – that’s where a limo service to Denver to Red Rocks earns its keep, especially groups splitting a private van for groups instead of three rideshares. Handy on concert days too – hike in the morning, since the amphitheater area can close once the event starts.

CHAUFFEUR SERVICE COST - ONE WAY RED ROCKS

STANDARD GRATUITY OF 20% WILL BE ADDED TO PRICE

Private shuttle Denver - Red Rocks	1-5 Passengers SUV	1-9 Passengers Van	1-14 Passengers Van	Estimate travel time
Cherry Creek to Red Rocks	$250	$379	$449	0 hours 40min
Denver to Red Rocks	$250	$379	$449	0 hours 40min
Boulder to Red Rocks	$275	$399	$475	1 hours 10min